1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable computer assembly, more particularly to a portable computer assembly having a battery module which is easily assembled to and detached from a keyboard module of the portable computer assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional portable computer assembly 1 that includes a computer unit 10 and a detachable battery unit 90. The computer unit 10 has a keyboard housing with left and right side walls, each of which has a rear end formed with a pivot hole 93 that is provided with an electrical connector (not shown) therein. A bottom side of the keyboard housing is provided with a pair of resilient retaining members 94 proximate to the pivot holes 93, respectively. The battery module 90 has an elongated battery casing with two opposite ends, each of which has a mounting plate 91 projecting transversely from the battery casing. Each of the mounting plates 91 has one side confronting the other one of the mounting plates 91 and formed with an electrical contact 92 which is in the form of a cylindrical stud and which is extendible into a respective one of the pivot holes 93 for connecting electrically with the electrical connectors in the pivot holes 93. After assembly, the battery unit 90 is pivotable downwardly relative to the keyboard housing about an axis of the cylindrical studs 92 such that the battery unit 90 can serve as a foot member for raising and supporting a rear part of the computer unit 10. To assemble the battery unit 90 to the computer unit 10 or to detach the battery unit 90 from the computer unit 10, the computer unit 10 is turned upside-down. Then, the resilient retaining members 94 are operated by fingers on both hands of the user, and the battery unit 90 is held by the other fingers on both hands of the user and is brought toward the computer unit 10 to enable extension of the electrical contacts 92 into the pivot holes 93 or is pulled away from the computer unit 10 to permit removal of the electrical contacts 92 from the pivot holes 93. As such, the assembly and detachment operations are not convenient to conduct, and may result in damage to the computer unit 10 and the battery unit 90.
Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a portable computer assembly having a detachable battery module which is easily operable for assembling to and detaching from a keyboard module of the portable computer assembly.
Accordingly, the portable computer assembly of the present invention includes a keyboard module, a display module, and a battery module. The keyboard module includes a keyboard housing having front and rear ends, top and bottom sides, and a surrounding wall extending between the top and bottom sides. The surrounding wall includes front and rear walls and left and right side walls interconnecting the front and rear walls. The keyboard housing is formed with a connector mounting slot which is accessible from the bottom side and the rear end of the keyboard housing. The keyboard module further has an electrical connector unit disposed in the connector mounting slot adjacent to the rear end of the keyboard housing. Each of the left and right side walls is formed with a pivot hole adjacent to the rear end of the keyboard housing. The display module includes a display housing having a lower end connected pivotally to the rear end of the keyboard housing. The battery module includes an elongated battery housing adapted for receiving a battery set therein. The battery housing has first and second ends which are opposite to each other in a longitudinal first direction of the battery housing. The battery module further includes a second electrical connector unit which projects from the battery housing in a second direction transverse to the first direction, which is adapted to connect electrically with the battery set that is received in the battery housing, and which is extendible into the connector mounting slot in the keyboard housing for connecting matingly with the first electrical connector unit so as to supply electric power to the keyboard module. The battery module further includes confronting first and second mounting units mounted respectively on the first and second ends of the battery housing and projecting relative to the battery housing in the second direction. The first mounting unit has a distal end provided with a first cylindrical stud which extends in the first direction toward the second mounting unit and which is inserted rotatably and removably into the pivot hole in one of the left and right side walls of the keyboard housing. The second mounting unit includes a casing, a depressible operating member, a pivot shaft, a second cylindrical stud, a lever and a biasing member. The casing has a connecting end portion secured to the second end of the battery housing, and a mounting end portion extending from the connecting end portion and projecting relative to the battery housing in the second direction. The casing has a first side wall facing the first mounting unit, and a second side wall opposite to the first side wall in the first direction. The depressible operating member is mounted on the second side wall of the casing at the connecting end portion of the casing. The pivot shaft is mounted fixedly in the casing between the connecting and mounting end portions, and extends in a third direction transverse to the first and second directions. The second cylindrical stud is mounted on the first side wall of the casing at the mounting end portion of the casing, and is inserted rotatably and removably into the pivot hole in the other one of the left and right side walls of the keyboard housing. The lever is disposed in the casing, and has a first end connected pivotally to the depressible operating member, a second end opposite to the first end and connected pivotally to the second cylindrical stud, and an intermediate portion mounted pivotally on the pivot shaft. The biasing member is disposed in the casing for biasing the depressible operating member in a direction away from the first side wall to enable the depressible operating member to project from the second side wall and to enable the second cylindrical stud to project from the first side wall of the casing. The depressible operating member is depressible against biasing action of the biasing member so as to enable the lever to pivot about the pivot shaft and to retract the second cylindrical stud into the casing for disengaging the second cylindrical stud from the pivot hole in the other one of the left and right side walls of the keyboard housing.